EPSRC Capital Award for Core Equipment Award 2022/23

核心设备奖将用于支持两个支撑设备的升级和扩展，作为EPSRC投资节约倡议的一部分。该设备是对最近在基础设施和人员方面的大量投资的补充，它是i)高通量多模原子力显微镜(MmAFM)和ii)脑电(EEG)系统。i)MmAFM：AFM在纳米技术的发展中发挥了重要作用；它是一种用于研究样品表面和薄膜的强大、多功能的技术，提供了电和热传输、形貌、纳米机械和许多其他特性的纳米级分辨率。原子力显微镜的工作原理是用纳米级或原子锐利的探头扫描感兴趣材料的表面。探头和样品之间的反馈回路允许对材料进行扫描或光谱表征。与许多其他表面表征技术相比，AFM的主要优势之一是它能够提供广泛的材料、环境和表征参数。从历史上看，AFM的限制因素之一是难以在三维(3D)扫描中绘制与深度相关的材料属性。所要求的升级将克服3D映射的限制。我们要求对现有AFM系统进行重大升级和扩展，以便在受控、环境或液体环境中高通量地对导电或绝缘衬底上的机械、电、热或热电特性进行高通量3D相关表征。此次升级将安装在兰开斯特IsoLab设施的超低噪音环境中，与Co-I开发和利用新型AFM的记录相结合，将为纳米材料特性提供独特的世界级设施。ii)EEG通过连接到参与者头皮上的小型传感器获取大脑产生的电信号。与磁共振成像(MRI)不同的是，它是听觉研究的理想选择，因为它可以用于有听力设备的个人(例如人工耳蜗、助听器)，并且可以在安静的环境中使用。当听觉系统在毫秒级别工作时，当评估大脑皮质对语音的反应时，脑电良好的时间分辨率是有利的。还可以对数据进行分析，以揭示电信号来自哪个皮质区域。由于MRI扫描的高成本(约250 GB/小时)，这种空间分析在MRI试点数据中非常有用，并通过增加EEG系统中的通道数量来使其变得更加准确。所请求的维修和升级将创建具有比设备以前更高分辨率的神经成像工具，以便进行空间分析。此外，该系统将适用于儿童和成人研究，以确保设备用于广泛的研究。脑电系统将被安置在心理学的专用研究大楼中。与该部门的五个听觉研究实验室和BabyLab相结合，这个修复和增强的脑电系统将为儿科听神经科学提供强大的基础。

The core-equipment award will be used to support the upgrade and expansion of two underpinning pieces of equipment as part of EPSRC's Invest to Save initiative. The equipment, which complements recent and substantial investment in infrastructure and staff, is i) a high throughput multimode Atomic Force Microscope (mmAFM) and ii) an electroencephalography (EEG) system.i) mmAFM: AFM has been instrumental in the development of nanotechnology; it is a powerful, versatile technique for studying sample surfaces and thin films, providing nanoscale resolution of electrical and thermal transport, topography, nanomechanics and many other properties. AFM works by scanning the surface of the material of interest with a nanoscale or atomically sharp probe. A feedback loop between the probe and sample allows scanning or spectroscopic characterisation of the material. One of the main advantages of AFM over many other surface characterisation techniques is its ability to deliver a wide range of material, environment and characterisation parameters. Historically, one of the limiting factors for AFM is the difficulty of mapping depth-dependent material properties in a 3-dimensional (3D) scan.The requested upgrade will overcome the 3D mapping limit. We request a significant upgrade and expansion of an existing AFM system enabling high-throughput 3D-correlated characterisation of mechanical, electrical, thermal or thermoelectric properties on conductive or insulating substrates in either controlled, ambient or liquid environments. The upgrade will be housed in the ultra-low noise environment of Lancaster's IsoLab facility and when combined with the Co-I's track records of developing and exploiting novel AFM will provide a unique, world-class facility for nanoscale materials characterisation.ii) EEG picks up the electrical signals produced by the brain through small sensors attached to a participant's scalp. It is ideal for auditory research as it can be used with individuals with hearing devices (e.g. cochlear implants, hearing aids) and in a quiet environment, unlike Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI). EEG's excellent temporal resolution is advantageous when assessing the cortical response to speech as the auditory system works at the millisecond level. The data can also be analysed to reveal from which cortical area the electrical signal originated. This spatial analysis is extremely useful in MRI pilot data due to the high costs of MRI scanning (~£250 per hour) and is made more accurate by increasing the number of channels within the EEG system.The requested repair and upgrade will create a neuroimaging tool with a higher resolution than previously possible with the equipment to allow spatial analysis. Furthermore, the system will be made appropriate for both child and adult research to ensure the equipment is used for a wide range of research. The EEG system will be housed in Psychology's dedicated research building. In combination with the department's five auditory research labs and the BabyLab, this repaired and enhanced EEG system will provide a powerful base for paediatric auditory neuroscience.